Rotary-cutting veneer-machine



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.'

H. H. 00E.

ROTARY CUTTING VENEER MACHINE.

Patented June 5, 1888.

N. PETERS, Phulo-Lilhugnphu, Washington. n.c.

(No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheet 2.

H. H. 00E. ROTARY CUTTING VENEER MACHINE.

7 No. 384,129. Patented June 5 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. COE, OF PAINESVILLE, OHIO.

ROTARY-CUTTING VENEER-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 384,129,:1ated June 5,1888.

Application filed August 19, 1886. Serial No. 211,355. (No model.)

To all whom it mciy concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY H. 00E, a citizen of the United States,residing at Painesville, in the county of Lake and State of Ohio, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Rotary-Cutting Veneer-Machines,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for producing veneers of wood andthin-cut lumber,

in which logs of wood supported on drivingcenters carried by rotatingspindles are rotated against aknife supported by a bar having itshearings on ways, said bar being automatically moved on said ways towardthe log by screws or other device at a speed proportioned to thethickness of veneer or lumber desired to be out.

The objects of my improvements are, first, to produce a knife-bar ofsuch construction that without inordinate weight it will meet itsheaviest labor without spring or vibration; second, to enable theoperator of aveneer-machine while his machine is at work to quickly findthe easiest smoothest cutting angle of knife toward the log being cut;third, to antomatically hold that easiest smoothest cutting angle towardthe log being out while said log is diminishing in size.

Evidently the easiest cutting angle is such an angle that the pressureof the cutting comes directly upon the edge of the knife, dividing thepressure (or friction) equally between the timber of the log on thefront and the veneer parted from the log on the back below the edge,though practice may show the smoothest cut in soft timber when morepressure is allowed on the front of the knife. To obtain the easiestcutting angle with a knife having a short bevel requires more pitch ofknife toward the log than is required by a knife thin on the edge, (1'.e., onewith a long bevel.) To cut thick lumber, the knife requires morepitch toward the log than is required to cut thin lumber. A knife set tothe easiest smoothest cutting angle on a very small log will not cut atall on a very large log, as the arc of the circumference of the log isso much expanded toward a straight line on the large log that thepressure of the log becomes too great against the front of knife belowits outting-edge to permit it to out. A knife set to the smoothesteasiest cutting angle on a very large log, while it will part the lumberfrom the log, will not do good work on a Very small log, as the arc ofthe circumference of the small log has become so contracted that allpressure has been relieved from the front of the knife and has beenchanged onto the back of knife, and the lumber made is checked and splitand rough on the surface. To most easily make smooth sound lumber fromall parts of a log, the pitch of the knife toward the log mustcontinually change from largest to smallest log in proportion as thediameter of log diminishes. I meet these conditions and attain theobjects named by mechanisms illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich-- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of themachine,showing parts-in elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is adetachedview of the knife-bar and the connected guide-blocks containingknife-bar bearings. Fig. 4 is a detailed view of one slide-block and anend of the knife-bar, showing the guide-flange thereon; and Fig. 5 is amodification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the views.

I construct the knife-bar D hollow and open on its under side, itsdiverging walls a and 1) giving it a pyramidal form when viewed insection, carrying the knife at its apex. I connect the walls a and b atsuitable intervals of length by partitions, as represented at c. Thisform and construction gives it a depth and breadth of base which withoutinordinate weight secures sufficient strength and stiffness to resistthe heaviest strains without spring or vibration.

I flange both ends of the knife-bar D, as shown at O 0, said flangescarrying annular projections on their outer sides, as shown by dottedcurves at P. I construct the slideblocks 0 separate from the knife-barD,'said slide blocks being provided with annular grooves (shown at Q)corresponding to and receiving the annular projections on the knifebarD. Together they form limited bearings curved in the arc of a circle,having their axis of rotation at or near the line of the knife, so thatany rotating of theknife-bar does not raise or lower the edge of theknife, nor does such rotating move the edge of knife backward orforward. I further construct the knife-bar D with projecting arms, as atU, having a suitable leverage relative to the curved bearings 1? Q. Saidarms carry pins V, engaging with the slide-blocks \V, which traverse theadjustable guides X as the s1ide b1oeks O, which carry the knife-bar,are actuated forward and back by the feed-screw J I construct theadjustable guides X with one of their ends pi votally supported by thepins K, said pins being either connected to a fixed projection on theframe A A A, (not shown in drawings,) or connected to the ends of leversT, as shown, said levers T having their fulcrums at G. The outer ends ofsaid levers T are connected, supported, and actuated by the eccentrics Son the shaft 1.

The outer ends ofthe adjustable guides X are connected with, supported,and actuated by the eccentric R on the shaft I-I, said eccentric restingin contact with a bearing, 1', pivoted or depending from a linksupported in the lever X. This bearing-block 1' has a rounded lower faceadapted to always rest in contact with the eccentric R, for the purposeof giving said lever a steady and gradual change of position as theeccentric is turned and preventing any accidental displacement from saidposition by always maintaining its contact with the cocentric. Theeccentric-shaft H is rotated by the hand-lever Y, and theeccentric-shaft I is rotated by the hand-lever Z.

If the adjustable guides X be set parallel to the ways 13, there wouldbe no rotation of the knife-bar D as it is moved back and forth. If theinner ends of the guides X are pivoted to the frame, as shown in Fig. 5,the levers T and their connections G, S, I, and Z are dispensed with,and the guides X are operated solely by the hand-lever Y through theshaft H and cocentric R. By moving the hand-lever Y to the left, theouter ends of the guides X are raised from a parallel to an angle withthe ways 13. While this produces a change of pitch of knife toward thelog and is a great relief to a machine, especially when working logs ofgreat diameter, yet it does not give the operator a complete control ofthe pitch of the knife, nor does it do the best cutting on small logs,as the automatic change of pitch of knife decreases in ratio as theknifebar is fed forward; but by introducing the levers T and handlever Zonly the ratio of the automatic change of pitch 1s also increased, butincreased in the direction of the smaller diameter of log.

The utility of my invention is presented in the fact that while theknife is firmly clamped to its seat by the clamp-bar N the knife isalways at the control of the operator. The friction on the knife isreduced to a minimum. The friction of the pressurabar or gagebar isremoved, and the gage-bar-a necessity in most veneer-machincs is nearlythepensed with. The required power to run the machine is much reduced.Smaller drivingcenters become adequate. The product of the machine issmooth in surface, even in thickness, and free from checking in allsizes of logs.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In a rotary-cutting veneer-machine, the combination, withslide-blocks having guides thereon curved in the arc of a circle, of aknifebar arranged to move on said guides and have its inclinationregulated thereby, substantially as set forth.

2. In a rotary-cutting veneer-machine, the combination, withslide-blocks having guides thereon curved in. the arc of a circle, ofaknifebar arranged to move on said guides and have its inclinationregulated thereby, and a feedscrew for shifting the position of theslideblocks, substantially as set forth.

3. In a rotary-cutting veneer-machine, the combination, with anadjustable knife-bar, of pivoted guides, the knife-bar having a slidingpivotal connection with said guides, substantially as set forth.

4. In a rotary-cutting veneer-machine, the combination, with anadjustable knife-bar,said bar having arms secured thereto, of pivotedguides, and blocks adapted to slide therein and to which said arms arepivoted, substautially as set forth.

5. In a rotary-cutting veneer-machine, the combination, with an adjustableknife-bar, said bar having arms secured thereto, of pivotedguide-bars or guides, blocks adapted to slide therein and to which saidarms are pivoted, and cams for regulating the positions of theguide-bars, substantially as set forth.

6. In a rotary-cutting veneenmachine, the combination, with an adjustableknife-bar, said bar having an arm secured thereto, and slides,each having a curved groove therein, of a feed-screw to actuate theslides, and a pivoted guide-bar having a slide-block mounted therein,said block being pivoted to the arm of the knife-bar, substantially asset forth.

7. In a rotary-cutting veneer-machine, the combination, with anadjustable knifebar, and pivoted guide-bars with which the knife-barshave a sliding pivotal engagement, of pivoted levers, and cams forregulating the position of said levers and guide-bars, substantially asset forth.

8. The combination, with the knifebar, and pivoted guide-bars with whichthe knife-bar has sliding pivotal engagement, of levers piv- ICO IIO

the annular bearings P Q, the arms U, the slide-blocks W, the adjustableguides X, the eccentrics R, the shaft H, the hand-lever Y, 15 the,levers '1, the fulcrums G, the eccentrics S, the shaft I, and thehand-lever Z, substantially as described, and fort-he purposes setforth.

HENRY H. GOE.

Witnesses:

FRANK J. J EROME, J. B. BURROWS.

